The Culex team includes highly qualified field-ready professionals with many years of experience in aquatic ecology and entomology.
Michael J. Jackson, PhD, RPBio, President
Dr Jackson has over 25 years experience as a Project Leader in a wide variety of scientific fields, the most recent being researching and implementing WNv surveillance and mosquito management programs within British Columbia. Since 2002, he has been the driving force behind the creation and development of the Integrated Mosquito Management Program (IMMP®) which is now accepted as a standard in many jurisdictions in B.C. including Greater Vancouver Regional District, The Sunshine Coast Regional District, the District of North and West Vancouver, UBC, the City of White Rock and many more. Dr Jackson is an engaging public speaker and is actively involved in planning scientific conferences and workshops. He brings a wealth of experience in wetland ecology, habitat restoration, educational instruction, writing and project management. He has authored many published papers and technical reports and has a broad knowledge of freshwater ecology and entomology. Dr Jackson is a Research Associate with the University of British Columbia's Forest Sciences Department. He received his BSc Honours in Biological Sciences from the University of East Anglia (UK) and his Masters of Conservation from the University College London. He gained his PhD from the University of East Anglia on the role of aquatic invertebrates in the management of shallow lake systems.
Michelle Evelyn, PhD, RPBio, Report Writer and Senior Biologist
Dr Evelyn brings her highly qualified scientific background and expertise to the team with her impressive history in research, data analysis and report writing skills. Michelle has spent the past decade researching the impacts of human activities on plants, insects, birds and mammals in British Columbia, California and Mexico. She is the recipient of many grants, awards, and academic honours including the Teresa Heinz Scholars for Environmental Research Award and the Vladimir Krajina Award for Excellence in Plant Ecology. More recently, she has been involved in freshwater habitat restoration, mosquito habitat research, and in coordinating and writing final reports for Culex clients. Dr Evelyn has been with Culex Environmental from the beginning in 2004. Michelle gained a BSc (honours) in Ecology and Animal Biology from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and her MSc and PhD in Ecology from Stanford University in California. She is a Research Associate with the Centre for Biodiversity Research at UBC and is the author of several published papers.
Aynsley Thielman, PhD, Research and Development Coordinator
Aynsley Thielman is an expert in mosquito systematics and recently received her PhD from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario where she worked with Dr. Fiona Hunter on a multidisciplinary study of Anopheles mosquitoes in Canada. Her thesis examined larval and adult specimens collected from across Canada using morphological, ecological, and molecular data, and describes intraspecific and interspecific variation among and between the six species known from Canada, among which she discovered two previously unrecognized cryptic species. During this time, she was the recipient of numerous scholarships and awards, including an NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship (Doctoral) and held various volunteer positions, such as Student Representative for the Entomological Society of Canada. Before starting her PhD, Aynsley worked with Dr. Hunter on West Nile virus mosquito surveillance for the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the Health Canada - First Nations and Inuit Health Branch. As Senior Laboratory Manager, she gained professional experience in mosquito surveillance and testing for West Nile virus, published the photographic key to adult female mosquito species of Canada, as well as a paper on the establishment of a recently introduced species, Aedes (Ochlerotatus) japonicus, in Ontario (Thielman and Hunter 2006). With Dr. Hunter, she has also completed a Species at Risk assessment for the mosquito species of Canada for the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.
Scott McMahon, MSc, Project Manager
Scott brings a combination of science and people skills to the team as an entomologist who is experienced in project management, planning and directing field crews and laboratory staff. He is responsible for coordinating all elements of our integrated mosquito surveillance, monitoring and treatment program. He also has excellent communication skills and is a proficient researcher. Prior to joining Culex he conducted a study on the role of tires providing suitable oviposition sites for mosquitoes in Manitoba. Scott gained his BSc (with distinction) and his MSc of Entomology at the University of Manitoba.
